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Post by finarvyn on Feb 26, 2010 8:37:09 GMT -5
NOTE: This was originally its own post, but I decided that I wanted to have discussion for this game to be its own thread. Something I started a year ago, Final Frontier for Thousand Suns (links directly to a 1.7MB zipped PDF), based on the very early TOS era. For anyone who hasn't played TS I think it's a really neat scifi RPG, and Robert's (incomplete) Trek conversion probably deserves its own thread. Thousand Suns is mostly setting-free science fiction setting with somewhat generic equipment and such. It has a "stat plus skill" kind of system and you roll against a Target Number to determine success. One oddity is that it uses 2d12 for the dice, which is kind of cool because I like my d12's and don't get to use them much. Anyway, Thousand Suns can be run as a very rules-lite game and I've been having fun with it. I'm hoping that Robert decides to finish his Trek version, or I may have to tinker with it myself....  Download and discuss.... |
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Post by finarvyn on Feb 26, 2010 8:51:48 GMT -5
I decided to put up a few links to Thousand Suns to spark interest in anyone who has never heard of the game. I discovered it by accident last GenCon when I stopped at the Rogue Games booth to buy the updated edition of Colonial Gothic and got to talking to Richard Iorio about the other games in the 12-degrees product line that Rogue Games produces. Richard suggested I look at Thousand Suns and talked me into buying a copy. I had seen a copy of TS at Games Plus in Mt Prospect but hadn't really given it much of a look becasue it was in the indy bookshelf and wasn't that shiny looking. Riding home from GenCon, I actually gave it a good read and was hooked. When I got home I immediately put in an order for the supplements. A new edition of TS will be released in May (I think) so you may want to wait before spending too much money on an old edition, even though the new one is supposed to be 90% the same as the old one but with newer layout and graphics. You can buy Thousand Suns from Rogue Games or from DriveThru RPG. There are some designer's notes on the Rogue Games blog. And more here. More links if there is interest! |
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Post by rsaintjohn on Feb 27, 2010 2:16:46 GMT -5
Of course, I absolutely love TS. A pretty big chunk of stuff in "Foundation Transmissions" is mine (even some art!), and I'm involved in some other stuff behind the scenes. I think there was a bit of a stall after the initial release of TS, but that's going to start picking up this year.
As for "Final Frontier", I just resumed work on it this week, and the success of and interest in this forum played no small part in that. I'm glad I took the break from it because now I can synchronize it with TS: Revised and other things coming in the near future. The title will change but the spirit will remain the same. Also, I've been working on some new ideas that will really enhance starship combat and, more importantly (to me), the theme of exploration. Re-absorbing the old school "sandbox" approach over the past year has had a big effect on me, one that I hope to bring into this sourcebook.
I'll definitely keep the group here in the loop as I get closer to having a review/playtest draft. For obvious reasons, it will never be an official Star Trek or TS supplement, but I'd like to treat it as seriously (seriously fun!) as possible.
In the meantime, I also encourage folks to take a look at TS. I can tell you that TS:R will not be a huge revision, and there are no major rule changes that I know of. It's really more of a "clean up and tighten". One of my passions is the "imperial" genre of sci-fi... Asimov, H Beam Piper, Poul Anderson, and the game excels at creating those kind of settings, adventures and intrigues in a way that I was never really able to apply well to Traveller.
If you're interested but can't wait until TS:R is released, it really is at least worth the $10 PDF available through RPGnow.
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Post by finarvyn on Feb 27, 2010 8:21:08 GMT -5
One of my passions is the "imperial" genre of sci-fi... Asimov, H Beam Piper, Poul Anderson, and the game excels at creating those kind of settings, adventures and intrigues in a way that I was never really able to apply well to Traveller. A good point. Traveller was always the standard that I would compare other scifi RPGs to, and they always seemed to fall short. Now Thousand Suns has become my new standard. Traveller is neat, but always a bit more "gritty" for my taste. (Buying a starship with a 30-year loan always hit too close to home, so to speak.  ) Of course, TS could be run that way with minimal effort, but it's intent is more of a flashy kind of style with less emphasis on details. |
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Post by Inferno! on Mar 11, 2010 19:12:49 GMT -5
Based upon your comments in this thread I picked up Thousand Suns. I haven't played it, but it looks interesting. However, I am somewhat confused about purchasing skills, and was hoping one of you could clear it up for me.
The rules state "Every time you buy a new skill, you always buy that skill at its base rank". What confuses me is the"...buy that skill at its base rank[/b]" So if I buy a new skill based upon Dex 6, I would spend 6 points for it. Does that give me 1 rank in the skill or 6?
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Post by finarvyn on Mar 12, 2010 9:38:30 GMT -5
I'd have to re-read that passage of the rules, but our interpretation has been that "Base Rank" means Rank-1.
So if your DEX is 6, I'm pretty sure it costs 6 to reach "Base Rank" (Rank-1) and then 3 more points (50% of 6) to add each rank on top of the base.
For example, if you have a DEX of 6 and want to buy a new DEX-based skill of Rank-4 it would cost a total of 15 CP to get there (6+3+3+3=15).
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Post by Inferno! on Mar 12, 2010 17:48:21 GMT -5
The first time I read it I thought buying at your base rank meant you'd have a skill equal to your rank, then I starting thinking of it the way you just explained it, which makes more sense. Unfortunately, many of the examples throughout the book are not as clear and useful as they could be.  Thank you for the response. |
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Post by finarvyn on Mar 13, 2010 12:38:22 GMT -5
Rogue games is aware of the not-so-clear examples and I think they plan to clean them up for a 2E of Thousand Suns. You aren't the only one with that little frustration.
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Post by finarvyn on May 13, 2010 22:09:15 GMT -5
As for "Final Frontier", I just resumed work on it this week, and the success of and interest in this forum played no small part in that. I'm glad I took the break from it because now I can synchronize it with TS: Revised and other things coming in the near future. The title will change but the spirit will remain the same. Hey, Robert! Any progress on this? (I kept intending to tinker with it, but never seem to find the time....  ) |
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Post by rsaintjohn on May 22, 2010 22:49:36 GMT -5
No, sorry. Life gave me some real knocks at the end of March, and hasn't let up yet. Seems like every day is a new adventure (today: cat enemas!). Hope to find some stability soon to resume work/play.
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Post by finarvyn on May 26, 2010 21:33:28 GMT -5
Real life is a bummer sometimes when it comes to gaming. I never quite have the time to get things done, either.  |
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Post by finarvyn on Jun 29, 2011 13:41:45 GMT -5
As for "Final Frontier", I just resumed work on it this week, and the success of and interest in this forum played no small part in that. I'm glad I took the break from it because now I can synchronize it with TS: Revised and other things coming in the near future. The title will change but the spirit will remain the same. Hey, Robert! Any progress on this? (I kept intending to tinker with it, but never seem to find the time.... ) Any additional updates, Robert? A poster on my OD&D DIscussion boards was asking and I said I'd give you a "ping" to see if you've been working on it. |
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Post by rsaintjohn on Jul 21, 2011 10:26:25 GMT -5
Hi Marv, sorry I've been absent, didn't mean to be rude. Still riding that wave of chaos in life. Recently moved from California out east, currently trying to buy a home in Pittsburgh. As a result, most of my stuff has been packed away or in storage for months now, and I haven't gamed or worked on gaming material since last fall. No progress on TSFF, probably won't be able to even consider it until the end of the year.
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Post by Falconer on Jul 21, 2011 12:06:12 GMT -5
Good to see you, bro. Take care of yourself!
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Post by finarvyn on Jul 21, 2011 17:19:14 GMT -5
Yeah, I understand that Real Life can be busy and whatnot. Glad you could stop by, and it's a bummer that you haven't had time for gaming stuff!
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Something I started a year ago, Final Frontier for Thousand Suns (links directly to a 1.7MB zipped PDF), based on the very early TOS era.
) Of course, TS could be run that way with minimal effort, but it's intent is more of a flashy kind of style with less emphasis on details.
)
